Early Intervention Services
WORKGROUP RELEASES WHITE PAPER
The number one concern of pediatricians throughout Arizona regarding birth to five issues is the lack of services available through AzEIP.
At a time when there is an increased emphasis on screening for developmental delays, it is distressing to identify these children, refer them for evaluation and therapy and then have them be unable to obtain services. The main problem is a lack of available therapists - speech, physical and occupational, and resultant long waiting lists. It is well accepted within the cognitive and neuroscience fields that early intervention can positively affect the developing brain; therefore, time is of the essence for the provision of therapy services. There are numerous anecdotal reports of problems from around the state and this is substantiated by the AzEIP Public Report. The State Performance Plan Indicator #1 - Percent of infants and toddlers with IFSPs who receive the early intervention services on their IFSP in a timely manner was 48% (state target 60%). Preliminary research suggests that therapist availability is at least in part related to financial issues and recent changes in travel compensation have exacerbated this.
Possible avenues for FTF addressing this deficiency include support for the recruitment and training of more therapists, FTF funded therapists, and increased resources in the form of state funding for AzEIP (currently funded only by federal funds of Part C IDEA). This should be part of a Children's Budget which is core infrastructure for any comprehensive plan.
The AzEIP/ Therapist Availability workgroup of the AzAAP Early Childhood Task Force is an extremely active group. The group consists of both general and developmental pediatricians. They are collaborating with other organizations involved in this system, including AzEIP leadership.
To learn more about or participate in this workgroup, contact its leader, Sharon Levin, MD, FAAP at sharonlevi@aol.com.